Upright vacuum cleaners frequently utilize a combined motor/fan assembly which is attached to the upright handle bag portion and is pivotably mounted to and generally housed within a floor-mounted chassis. The motor/fan assembly blows dirt-ladened air directly from the fan chamber into the handle bag assembly. Since the motor/fan assembly and handle are affixed to one another, the air passageway therebetween may be rigid having smooth interior walls which do not tend to collect dirt and debris. The handle and attached motor/fan assembly typically are capable of rotating approximately 90.degree. relative to the chassis assembly. One axial end of the motor/fan assembly typically provides an air inlet to the fan chamber while the opposite end provides a rotary output shaft for driving a rotary brush.
Typically, vacuum cleaners of the prior art design pivotably mount the motor/fan assembly to the chassis utilizing a pair of conventional journal bearings. A cylindrical journal is formed on each end of the motor/fan assembly generally coaxial with the motor/fan axis. A pair of corresponding webs having a semi-cylindrical saddle sized to cooperate with each of the journal are formed in the chassis. A pair of semi-cylindrical caps are affixed to the chassis using conventional fasteners such as screws or the like to form a cylindrical bearing surface rotatably cooperating with the journals on the motor/fan assembly. Vacuum cleaners of this general prior art design are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,092, 4,996,737, 5,056,175 and Des. 301,648.